Boot or shoe for athletic purposes.



No. 757,983. PATENTBD APR. 19, 1904.

P. A. VAILE.

BOOT 0R SHOE FOR ATHLETIC PURPOSES. APPLIGATION FILED APB..14, 190s. RENEWED r213. 19. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES Patented. April 19, 1904 1 PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY A. VAILE, OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND.-

BOOT OR SHOE FOR ATHLETIC PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 757,983, dated April 19, 1904. Application filed Aprii14,1903. Renewed February 19, 1904. Serial No. 194,437. No model.)

To all whom it Wmy concern.-

Be it known that I, PERCY ADoLPHUs VAILE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Auckland, New Zealand, have invented a new and Improved Boot or Shoe for Athletic Purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a boot or shoe for athletic purposes; and one object that I have in view is to provide an improved article of footwear to be worn by persons when engaging in physical-culture exercises or for other purposes and especially designed to develop the muscles of the legs, ankles, and feet.

A further object of the invention is to make provision for the interchange of different weights to suit the strength and requirements of the user, and, furthermore, to provide an especially strong construction which will withstand the effects of quite a heavy weightsay from fifty to a hundred pounds or more the same being intended for exhibition purposes by athletes in theatrical or other productions.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of a boot or shoe, partly in section and equipped with means for weighting the toeportion thereof as contemplated by this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing another embodiment of the means for Weightinga shoe. -Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a weighted shoe adapted to receive a heavy weight. Fig. i is a per spective view of a boot or shoe havingaweight and cap fitted removably thereto, and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view showing another construction whereby the members of a divided dumb-bell may be connected detachably to the toe portion of a boot.

The leading feature of my invention resides in the application of a weight to the toe portion of a boot or shoe adapted for athletic purposes, said weight being disposed above the upper.

The invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, some of which are disclosed by the several features of the accompanying drawings and which I will now proceed to describe in detail.

In Fig. 1 the boot or shoe A is equipped with an internal metallic lining B, which is disposed within the material of the upper at the toe portion thereof. This metallic lining is shown as having its upper portion applied against the toe portion of the shoe-upper and its lower portion as fitting against the soleof the shoe, the foot of the wearer being received between the upper and lower portions of said metallic lining. The lining is made of metal in any suitable wayas,for example, by pressing it from a piece of sheet metal having the desired stifl ness and rigidity-and this lining serves as the support for a shank G. The shank carries a weight D, which may be of any suitable type-as, for example, the head at one end of a bar dumb-bell. The shank C is inclined upwardly and forwardly from the toe portion of the boot, and the weight D is shown as being removable from said shank. To this end the extremity of the shank is provided with a sleeve or socket 0, in which is re: ceived thestem (Z of the weight D, said stem being held firmly in the socket by a clampingscrew d, which finds a bearing in the socket and is adapted to impinge the stem d. The weight D is thus carried by the stem and the lining at a point well above and in advance of the toe portion of the boot, and this weight D may easily be removed from the boot in order that other weights of different heaviness may be applied to and carried by the weight-supporting means on the boot.

In the construction shown by Fig. 2 the weight-supporting means is in the form of a lining B, disposed within the toe portion of a boot in a way similar to the construction represented by Fig. 1; but in said embodime'ht of the invention the weight D is provided with a short stem 0Z which is attached directly to the lining B. This weight D lies close down to the toe portion of the boot-upper, and said weight is disposed directly above the upper and somewhat in rear of the front extremity of the toe portion of the boot. This construe tion is especially adapted for use in connection with comparatively light weights D.

In Fig. 3 the boot or shoe is especially constructed for use by athletes in exhibition or athletic contests requiring the employment of very heavy weights. The upper A of the boot is made of metal in a suitable way to receive the sole and heel a a, respectively, and the fastening section a of the boot. This metallic upper is provided at its to'e portion with an upstanding clip E, which may be made in one piece with said upper, or it may be cast in a separate piece and attached to the upper in any approved way. The clip is provided with a vertical socket e, and one member of the clip has clamping-screws e. The crossbar of a heavy dumb-bell may readily be fitted in the socket e of the clip, and the screws 6 can be adjusted to engage with this cross-bar of the dumb-bell for the purpose of holding it firmly in place on the upper, the latter being of suflicient strength and rigidity to withstand the Weight of the dumb-bell. It is evident that the dumb-bell may easily be removed from the socketed clip, and it can be replaced by another dumb-bell of greater or less weight, as desired.

The modification represented by Fig. A is in the nature of an attachment to be used in connection with any kind of boot or shoe. This attachment consists of a cap F, which is of such size and shape as to fit snugly over the toe portion of a boot, said cap being made of metal, leather, or any other material. The cap is provided at its upper portion with a weight D which may be attached or united to the cap in a suitable way, and after the cap is fitted to the toe portion of a boot or shoe it is held in place by any kind of fastener-such, for example, as the strap f, which may pass around the heel portion of the boot or-be attached to said boot.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is represented by Fig. 5 of the drawings, wherein I employ a divided durnb-bell having its members separably mounted on a metallic support,

which is applied to the toe portion of a boot in any suitable or approved way. This metallic support shown by said figure of the drawings contemplates the employment of a sleeve F, which is provided with an internal screw-thread. The sleeve is arranged to lie across the toe portion of the boot, and it may be disposed close down to the boot-upper or at a suitable elevation above the same, the dis tance that the sleeve lies above the shoe being immaterial. This sleeve may, if desired, be attached to a shank similar to the shank C of the construction shown by Fig. 1, or it may be attached to a metallic lining to occupy a similar position to the weight D of Fig. 2. The members Gr G of a divided bar dumbbell have short shanks g, which are externally threaded and are adapted to be screwed into the opposite end portions of the sleeve F. These dumb-bell members are screwed into the sleeve, so' as to be held securely and firmly therein; but it is evident that the members G G may be unscrewed individually from said sleeve in order that other members of different weight may be attached to the sleeve.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A boot or shoe of the class described, having a weight above the toe portion thereof, and means for holding the weight in said position.

2. Aboot or shoe of the class described, having a weight disposed above the toe portion, and means on said boot or shoe for supporting said weight securely in place.

3. Aboot or shoe of the class described, having a metallic portion constructed for the reception of a weight which is disposed above said toe portion.

4:. A boot or shoe of the class described, having a weight supported removably in place above the toe portion thereof.

5. A boot or shoe of the class described, having a stiff metallic member fitted to the toe portion thereof, and a Weight supported by said metallic member above said toe portion of the shoe.

6. A boot or shoe of the class described, having a metallic member on the toe portion thereof, an upstanding member on said metallic member, and a weight held removably in the upstanding member.

7. Aboot or shoe of the class described, hav-. ing an upstanding member at the toe portion thereof, and a weight clamped removably in said upstanding member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

PERCY A. VAILE.

Witnesses:

JNo. M. BITTER, H. F. BERNHARD. 

